Enter the recoil force, the mass of the bullet, and the recoil distance into the calculator to determine the recoil velocity.

Recoil Velocity Formula

The following equation is used to calculate the Recoil Velocity.

Vr = SQRT ( RF/M*(RD/12)/32.174049 )
  • Where Vr is the recoil velocity (ft/s)
  • RF is the recoil force (lbf)
  • M is the mass of the bullet (lbs)
  • RD is the recoil distance (in)

What is a Recoil Velocity?

Definition:

A recoil velocity is the speed at which a gun will recoil based on the mass and velocity of the exiting bullet.

How to Calculate Recoil Velocity?

Example Problem:

The following example outlines the steps and information needed to calculate Recoil Velocity.

First, determine the recoil force. In this example, the recoil force is found to be 55 lbf.

Next, determine the mass of the bullet. For this problem, the mass of the bullet is found to be .00011 lbs.

Next, determine the recoil distance. In this case, the recoil distance is measured to be 6 in.

Finally, calculate the Recoil Velocity using the formula above:

Vr = SQRT ( RF/M*(RD/12)/32.174049 )

Vr = SQRT ( 55/.00011*(6/12)/32.174049 )

Vr = 88.148 ft/s